I confess. We love appetizers. There’s something great about a small plate of things. You eat a little, you drink some wine. You slow down a little and get ready to truly enjoy the main meal. It’s. . .kinda civilized!

One appetizer I love dearly is marinated cheese. You can marinate most any fresh, firm cheese – I like to marinate fresh Mozzarella. And marinated cheese plays beautifully with so many other things you can put on a plate, like charcuterie, fresh sliced veggies (crudites), citrus segments, citrus zest, lots of fresh herbs – marinated Mozzarella is just a compatible kind of appetizer ingredient.

Good quality fresh mozza, however, is pretty pricey. I quiver at the minute, 8-oz packages selling at our local supermarkets for about 5 bucks. You’d need at least 2 of them to make a decent amount for marinating.

That’s one reason I love CostCo! They don’t just stock good quality olive oil by the jumbo, 5 gallon pack, they also offer great quality fresh, pre-sliced mozzarella logs (sold as 2 1-lb. logs per package, each individually wrapped) that can, with minimal work and a little waiting time, be transformed into gorgeous marinated mozzarella.

Full disclosure, I have zero, zip, nada interest in CostCo, except that I shop there.

Using a log of CostCo mozzarella, preparing a couple of pints of marinated cheese takes about 10 minutes and a little patience. Here’s how:

Is there any food as delicious as chopped chicken liver that is also as unappealing looking?

I have come to the conclusion that chopped liver on a plate – liver pâté for the foodies amongst you – is visually unappealing no matter how it is tarted up.

My mother made this dish regularly and placed it on a plate in a ring with a gelatin glaze. I hated the way it looked, but I loved the way it tasted!! As soon, of course, as I scraped the glaze off, where it sat, quivering on my plate like a rejected golden retriever. A retriever made of gelatin!

Organ meats are one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat. If you can, when you make this dish, try and find organic chicken liver. Awesome nutrient qualities + a liver that has processed fewer toxins means you are Winning!!